“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone
away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing
which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

The music historian Salvatore Basile notes:
"The song would achieve the near-impossible feat of surviving in the
standard holiday repertoire, with important performances, innumerable
recordings, and every kind of vocal and instrumental arrangement."[1]

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:

Happy Birthday
today to
John Murden ('60) of VA AND
Glen Davenport ('63) of VA!

Hi, folks. Y'all might've
already seen this in the States, but it's getting big play here now,
and a lot of us are in the cohort where we or family members take at
least some meds. This version lists most of the relevant meds at the
end...and also applies to anything with citrus related to
grapefruit, like Seville oranges (often in marmalade, esp. English)
and some OJ that has gf juice blended in but doesn't make a big
mention of it (i.e., read the ingredients!).

It has long been known that
grapefruit juice can pose dangerous — and even deadly — risks when
taken along with certain medications. Now, experts warn the list of
medications that can result in these interactions is longer than
many may have believed.

Check below to see whether
your medication appears on the list.

In a new report released Monday in
the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers at the
University of Western Ontario said that while 17 drugs were
identified in 2008 as having the potential to cause serious problems
when taken with grapefruit, this number has now grown to 43.

“The frequency of these reactions
may be small, but the risks are not worth it, especially for drugs
which could cause sudden death,” said lead study author David
Bailey, a professor of pharmacology and one of the first to report
the interactions between grapefruit juice and certain medications 20
years ago. “Physicians need to know that this affects a number of
new drugs and apply this information to their practice and
patients.”

So how does a common breakfast
fruit cause these problems? Grapefruits contain chemicals called
furanocoumarins that interfere with how your body breaks down drugs
before they enter the bloodstream. By preventing this normal
breakdown of a drug, these chemicals in grapefruit can effectively
cause a drug overdose and more severe side-effects.

Among the side effects sometimes
seen with grapefruit-induced overdoses are heart rhythm problems,
kidney failure, muscle breakdown, difficulty with breathing and
blood clots. Atorvastatin — commonly known by the brand name Lipitor
and taken by millions of Americans — is one of the drugs that have
been linked to serious cases of drug toxicity when combined with
grapefruit products. Other common heart medications — including
verapamil and amiodarone — have also led to serious interactions
when consumed with grapefruit or grapefruit juice.

“Grapefruit can have opposite
unwanted effects depending on the drug,” Hendeles said. “Examples
are atenolol — a beta blocker used to prevent heart attacks or treat
high blood pressure — and fexofenadine, [which is] Allegra, an
antihistamine used to treat allergies.”

While there have been many
reported cases of serious side effects attributable to this problem,
the total number of Americans who have been affected is not known.

As little as one grapefruit or one
8-ounce glass of grapefruit juice can cause an effect that may last
more than 24 hours. Other fruits including Seville oranges, limes,
and pomelos can have the same effect, although sweet orange
varieties do not produce this interaction.

“People know that drugs react with
drugs, but fewer are aware of drug-food interactions,” said
Professor Paul Doering of the University of Florida Pharmacy
Department. “Health professionals need to learn as much as they can
about this. Undetected there are very serious adverse effects.”

For consumers, the best advice may
be to ask a doctor or pharmacist when they are prescribed a new drug
whether there are foods or other medicines that they should avoid.

Groups of Americans
were traveling by tour bus through Holland. As they stopped at a cheese
farm, a young guide led them through the process of cheese making,
explaining that goat's milk was used. She showed the group a lovely
hillside where many goats were grazing.

"These,"
she explained, "Are the older goats put out to pasture when they no
longer produce."

She then asked,
"What do you do in America with your old goats?"

A spry old gentleman
answered, "They send us on bus tours!"

DATES TO REMEMBER:

1.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - The NNHS Class of June 1942
meets at noon on the second Wednesday of every other month
for a Dutch treat lunch at the James River Country Club,
1500 Country Club Road. PLEASE JOIN THEM. Give or take a few
years makes no difference. Good conversation, food and
atmosphere. For details, call Jennings Bryan at 803-7701 for
reservations.

2.
Thursday, January 3, 2013 - The NNHS Class of 1955 holds
Lunch Bunch gatherings on the first Thursday of every month
at Steve & John's Steak House on Jefferson Avenue just above
Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News at 11:00 AM. The luncheon
is not limited to just the Class of '55; if you have friends
in that year, go visit with them.